The silence of the elephants

November 18, 2012 - Harry Eagar

Ordinarily, the doings in Tennessee's 4th Congressional District would not be grist for RtO's mill, although for me personally the soap opera that is east Tennessee politics never loses its charm. The exposure of Tea Party, anti-abortion congressman Scott DesJarlais as a serial abortionist, liar, philanderer, malpracticing doctor etc. (all by his own sworn testimony) raises the local issue to one of more general interest.

If you had been found yesterday under a cabbage leaf, you might suppose that the party of values and family would be all over DesJarlais to, at least, get out of Congress and hide. But, no.

To rightwing Republicans, family values are flexible things. It's like the old joke we told on the Baptists (I'm sure you've heard it), that the reason they opposed premarital sex was that it might lead to dancing.

I mean, we already knew from Noot Gingrich's success that Republicans are down with adultery. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, not one elected Republican in the state could be found to condemn DesJarlais.

But it's not mere silence. Phil Roe, a rightwing congressman, doesn't see what the fuss is about: